Monday 23 April 2012

Task 6b: My Reflections

So, my Pilots and their use.

I started with my Pilot Interview, this was done by phone to a close friend of mien who is also in Performing Arts. I asked her a number of different questions on different topics such as " How are you preparing for Auditions?", "Do you feel you are able to sustain your Technique?" " How have you grown since leaving college?." Unfortunately I was unable to get her to sign a consent form for me to post her answers but I feel like that is was really useful for me to hear what she had to say.

I've learnt from this that although the phone interview was fairly quick and easy to set-up I lacked the ability to see her reactions to things. Thinking about the work from last term, body language is key to really knowing how someone feels about a particular issue.

For my inquiry I am going to do a face to face interview, and hopefully with the right consent record it.

I set up my Pilot survey on Surveymonkey. Unfortunately, no-one has completed it as of yet but I am going to send it out to a few people Via my other links such as Delicious and Facebook.

This has shown to me that I need to be a little more prepared with getting things set up and that people won't necessarily do things to help, you have to encourage them a little.

I haven't been able to set up a focus group as of yet but some of the things I am going to discuss with them include auditions, technique, research, networking, college performances, growing up - do we know enough within performing ect.

I have researched some really helpful websites such as:

- A Web page designed to help set up a Focus Group.

- A Web page upon why we use focus groups and how they can help.

- Another Web page upon how to set up and use a focus group to youe advantage.

I'm hoping with a bit more use of these sites I can create a focus group to help me with my Inquiry.

In terms of my pilot observation, I am going to look back over some knowledge and notes I already have:

Ballet - Set 1 - Miss Banks' Class;

While watching over this class at College I was able to reflect upon my other class mates. For example, one member of the Ballet class was a known "trouble maker" and would try and distract the other girls from learning and concentrating. In terms of ethics would it be right for the Teacher to Ban a student for this? She pays to go to the College, she is very talented but just gets distracted easily...should this lead to her being singled out and made to leave or should the teacher just try and carry on with the class. In this case, my teacher is very good at handling disruptive students and didn't single out the performer, only encouraged her to do better. With this she pulled her to the front of the class and asked her to perform the exercise by her self for everyone to watch.

I feel like this is the best way to control disruptive people by not singling them out in a way that will embarrassing or upset them but by making them see how other people feel when the whole classed is stopped for them.

For my inquiry, I would like to observe a number of different classes and then carry out a survey on the different thoughts from the pupils. Im not quite sure where I am going to do this as of yet, I may as my old Performing Arts College with the correct consent forms signed and kept filed.

2 comments:

  1. Hi Eithne.
    Have just read your blog and by the sounds of it we've got similar topics of inquiry. I'm looking at the process after college 'How to survive the industry' and looking at the questions you've used for your pilot interview some are very similar to mine. I will post my interview on the blog and it might be interesting for you to compare findings?
    I've set up a SIG, though haven't used it as much as planned, would love some in put from you. The link is on my blog.
    I've done your survey! On question 2 was unsure weather you wanted me to name specific colleges or not, but hope my answer is still helpful. Question 5 I answered 5. Though I don't think I personally would have tried 5 times, I think it's very much a personal choice. I don't believe I would have had a strong enough mentality to fill 5 years waiting to get in, but I know some people who have and have been very successful. Might be interesting in interviews/ surveys to ask and collect information about it!
    Hope that helps,
    Hannah

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  2. Hi Hannah,

    this is amazing!! sounds like we'll be doing a similar theme, I've narrowed my inquiry down to 'being able to sustain a normal job whilest pursing performance.'

    I shall join your SIG now :)

    thank you for also doing my survey, that was only a plan as I hadn't really thought about my theme, but i am now going to do a more specific one.

    Ef x

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